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| Fidelity Associates Insurance & Financial Services eNewsletter |
January 2012 |
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November & December Referral Gift Card Winners
Congratulations to William & Stephanie Shaw, November winners; and Nick Cochrane, December winner of our $50 gas card drawings! For every referral who calls for a quote and says they were referred by you, you'll get a $10 gift card for movies, coffee or shopping. For every referral we receive from you in a month, you'll get one entry into the drawing for our monthly $50 gas card! That's it, whether they purchase from us or not. Just be sure they mention your name when they call.
THANK YOU for sharing your friends with us! | | |
| GETTING UP FROM YOUR DESK CAN PUT THE "BREAKS" ON CANCER |
As many as 49,000 cases of breast cancer and 43,000 cases of colon cancer occurring in the U.S. every year are linked to a lack of physical activity, according to an estimate from the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Based on these research findings, AICR is urging Americans to make time for physical activity and break every hour of sitting with 1 to 2 minutes of activity. These breaks can be as simple as walking to a colleague's office instead of sending an email or going to the kitchen to get a glass of water. We've all heard the advice to "Take the stairs, not the elevator." There are more ways to infuse your day at work with more activity. Read the article to get practical tips for moving more.
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| MEET ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DALLAS HAWKINS |
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| Dallas Hawkins has been with Fidelity Associates as a Financial Services Account Executive since October of 2011. He is an insurance professional, employee benefits and financial services consultant with 20 years of service to clients and businesses in the Northwest. Dallas studied human resources, business management and economics at Gonzaga University. He has been a business owner with experience operating an independent full-service insurance agency. Dallas is proud to have recently been appointed to serve as an advisor to Mayor Elect David Condon on his Transition Team. Since 2003, Dallas has also served the Spokane Community as Chairman of the Citizen Street Advisory Commission as well as an active lay minister and Head Verger at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist. He is married to Kathie Hawkins, also a twenty year insurance veteran, and they have five grown children. Dallas is committed to understanding his client’s needs and providing comprehensive and effective solutions for all their insurance, financial planning and employee benefits needs.
Contact Dallas
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SUPER BOWL SNACKS |
Pizza dip, artichoke bread, and more... enjoy some of these recipes at your party!
Super Bowl Party Recipes
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ALLIED FIRE & SECURITY |
Thank you to our clients, such as Allied Fire & Security, for supporting our
newsletter!
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Inland Northwest Community Foundation
January Spotlight Client |
Inland Northwest Community Foundation (INWCF) is the leading resource for charitable giving and philanthropic partnerships in Eastern Washington and North Idaho. We work with donors and nonprofit organizations to make grants that build and strengthen our region and beyond. Our mission is to connect people who care with causes that matter. Here’s how we make that happen:
• We help people establish charitable giving funds to support the causes they care about.
• We professionally manage and invest the money in those funds.
• We award grants from those funds based on the donor’s giving wishes. Then we follow up to make sure that the money is being used the way the donor intended.
• We work with local leadership to identify community needs and create strategic grant making initiatives to improve people’s lives.
Inland Northwest Community Foundation’s primary service area covers 10 counties in Eastern Washington and 10 in North Idaho. Many of our donors have a wider reach, using their funds to support organizations throughout the United States. The 320 funds we manage at INWCF represent $67 million in assets. Since our inception in 1974, we have distributed over $37 million dollars to nonprofit organizations.
“Knowing that Fidelity Associates has all our insurance needs covered, we can focus our attention on helping donors achieve their charitable goals,” says Mark Hurtubise, President & CEO of INWCF. Last year, that resulted in the Community Foundation awarding 620 grants totaling $2,775,716. These grants covered a wide range of giving interests, including human services, economic development, education, community development, arts and culture, and the environment.
At INWCF, we know you don’t need to be a millionaire to be a philanthropist. We are privileged to work with generous donors of all ages, resources and backgrounds who want to make a positive impact on our communities.
To learn more about INWCF and how we can help make your philanthropic giving a rewarding experience, please visit our Web site at www.inwcf.org. |
| How Safe is Your Business From Cyber Threats? |
News about data breaches at larger companies is becoming a regular occurrence. What's surprising is how many breaches also occur at smaller organizations, which may be at a greater risk because they often lack the infrastructure and resources to protect from cyber criminals.
What does a cyber crime cost? According to one study, a business can expect to pay an average of $204 per customer record that is lost or stolen.
If you're a business owner, threats to your data come from a variety of sources. Whether you're the victim of a random hack, disgruntled former or current employee, angry competitor or anyone else, cyber crimes can seriously damage your business. Worse, if the crime results in a breach of private consumer data, state law may impose significant fines that could devastate your firm's bottom line. There are a number of insurance products available to help business owners to deal with the cost of cyber crime. For more information about insuring against these growing exposures, please contact your agent.
The FCC has also launched the Small Biz Cyber Planner, an online resource to help small businesses create customized cyber security plans. Visit their page for more info and the planning guide. |
| Weathering the Storms |
With more winter ahead of us, it's not too late to take steps to prepare for your home or business for the weather and avoid winter claims.
Heavy snow on rooftops can cause not only leaks & water damage, but collapsed roofs. Locate a rooftop snow removal contractor in your area ahead of time.
Businesses also need to take care to hire qualified, trained professional contractors to remove snow and ice from around their premises, to avoid having clients or pedestrians slip and fall on ice. Keeping a log of each time snow is cleared - whether it is done by the business owner or a contractor - is recommended to provide documentation of property maintenance.
Tips to prepare your home for winter
Your business buildings in winter
More winterization tips |
| Managers' Corner - News from Scott Jones, CEO |
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| In our journey of “continuous improvement”, we recently asked a group of our customers to tell us why they buy from us. What did they think were our competitive advantages? The feedback was interesting and helpful. Here are a few of the comments, followed by some facts to support those advantages.
Stability - “With so many things changing at such a rapid a pace in today’s world, having a local stable insurance representative interested in my needs is comforting”. (We will be celebrating our 106th year in business this year!)
Choice – “You represent many of the top insurance providers in the country. You do the shopping for me. I don’t need to take the time to look anywhere else”. (We in fact represent over 50 of the top insurance companies, including 8 of the top 13 property and casualty companies in the US).
Claims Service – “Your hands on, prompt response to our fire loss meant SO much. Having someone who I know and could trust helping me through my time of need made a huge difference”. (We have a 24 hour claims answering service that will connect you to a Fidelity agent to help you get your claim started.)
Experience – “I have been working with the same team in your office for over 10 years. I know them and they know me. They are knowledgeable and caring professionals who are looking out for my best interest, letting me know where I could improve my coverage and looking for ways to help me save money”. (46% of our team have been with us over 10 years and 20% have been with us over 20 years!)
These are just a few of the many thoughtful responses I received. We are going to continue to earn your loyalty and be your Trusted Choice. Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. If you would like to add your comments for our consideration, please email your feedback to me at sjones@fidelityins.com.
Thank you for your loyalty and continued business. We appreciate them both!
Scott K. Jones CPCU AAI
President CEO | | |
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